The Georgian Government announced it was planning amendments in domestic laws to simplify procedures for obtaining the country’s citizenship.
The four legal amendments, aimed at helping Georgians abroad receive citizenship, were revealed by Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze to the press.
The planned amendments involve having those intending to apply for citizenship fill out a test at the State Services Development Agency, before the full application is submitted.
A failure in the test will mean the agency will not start formal procedures for citizenship, saving time and resources, the minister said.
Applicants will have the right to retake the exam without limitations, with results valid for a year. In case of rejection of applications for citizenship, the procedures can be restarted in six months, instead of the current one-year cooldown period.
Finally, stateless persons will be able to obtain citizenship after spending five years in residency in the country instead of 10, as part of the Georgian Government’s commitment to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Bregadze said.
